Cumbria does not need selling to anyone with a dog and a pair of boots; the harder question is which door to walk out of. This list leans heavily on one town, and we would rather say so at the start. Seven of the twelve houses are in Keswick, all within a mile of the lakeshore path to Friar's Crag, while the other five are spread between Ullswater, Buttermere, Esthwaite Water, Tarn Hows and the middle of Grizedale Forest. The closest walk of all is the Buttermere Circuit, 0.3 miles from a stone cottage in the village. The furthest is the Esthwaite Water loop, 0.9 miles below Fell Foot.
Every house here is drawn from the stays plotted on the Wildpack map, and each passed the same three checks: outdoor space its owners describe as enclosed, a written dog allowance, and a route from our walk listings that begins less than a mile away. Ten have a log burner or open fire. The dog allowance runs from one to six. What you get from any of them is a morning walk that starts with a door closing behind you rather than an engine starting.
Butt House, Pooley Bridge
Butt House is the only five star house in this guide, a restored village cottage at the Ullswater end of Pooley Bridge with sandstone flooring, beams and underfloor heating downstairs and three en suite bedrooms above. The boot room off the kitchen has space for a dog bed and opens straight onto a south facing garden that is enclosed and backs onto fields. There is a drying room as well, which earns its keep in a Lakeland autumn.
The Pooley Bridge and Dunmallard Hill Walk starts 0.4 miles from the house, and a boat from the village sets up the longer day: across to Howtown on the water, along to Glenridding on foot with views of Ullswater and Helvellyn, and the boat back. The concession is a sharp one. Six guests share an allowance of a single dog, so a family that travels with two will need to look further down this page.
- Sleeps: 6
- Dogs welcome: 1
- Nearest walk: Pooley Bridge and Dunmallard Hill Walk, 0.4 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, south facing, reached through the boot room
- Best for: A family of up to six with one dog who want five star finish and a lake boat from the village
Johns Cottage, Keswick
Johns Cottage is a two bedroom Lakeland house in the heart of Keswick, laid out on reverse levels so the beamed lounge with its vaulted ceiling is upstairs and the kitchen, sun room, twin bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor. The sun room is the place the dogs will choose. Outside there is a small enclosed patio garden with seating, and off road parking for one large and one small car, which in central Keswick is worth more than it sounds.
Friar's Crag and the Derwentwater lakeshore begins 0.4 miles away, close enough for a lap of the shore before breakfast. Latrigg is the obvious next step up from the lake, with Skiddaw and Blencathra beyond it for longer days. Be aware the fire here is an electric one made to look like a wood burner, so anyone booking a Lakeland week for the sake of real logs should choose another house.
- Sleeps: 4
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.4 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a patio garden with outdoor furniture
- Best for: Two couples or a small family with two dogs who would rather park once and walk everywhere
The Fold, Keswick
The Fold is a detached bungalow at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, one double bedroom and everything on a single floor, which makes it the easiest house here for an older dog that has given up on stairs. It takes three dogs, the most of any small house in this guide. The kitchen has a range cooker with a wood burner beside it, the lounge has a gas fire, and the enclosed garden is lawn and patio behind flowering shrubs, with a shed for bikes.
Reaching town means a level half mile through the park and along the River Greta, and the Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore walk starts 0.8 miles away. That is the trade for a quieter street: of the seven Keswick houses this is the furthest from the water, so the lakeshore is a proper stroll rather than a step outside.
- Sleeps: 2
- Dogs welcome: 3
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.8 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, lawn and patio with a bike shed
- Best for: A couple with three dogs, or one older dog that needs a single storey house
Whiskey Cottage, Keswick
Whiskey Cottage spreads four guests over three storeys: an open plan lounge and diner with a gas fire on the ground floor, a twin and shower room above, and a king size room with an en suite and fell views taking the whole top floor. It sits a short stroll from the market and shops, and the footbridge over the River Greta leads to Fitz Park for a quick outing with the dogs.
The Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore walk is 0.7 miles from the door, and Catbells, Latrigg and Skiddaw are all within reach for the days the lake is not enough. The outdoor space is the honest limit here. It is a small enclosed yard at the back with furniture, sunny and private, but not a lawn, and parking is for one small car with the rest on the street.
- Sleeps: 4
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.7 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a small rear yard with seating
- Best for: Two couples with two dogs who will spend the day on the fells and only need a yard at night
Wainwright House, Keswick
Wainwright House sleeps six under half a mile from the town centre, with a porch for boots and coats, an open plan kitchen and dining area, and a lounge where a wood burner sits beside a bay window. Two family bathrooms mean six people are not queuing, and one has a free standing bath alongside a walk in shower. The two top floor bedrooms have sloping ceilings, which tall guests should bear in mind.
From here the Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore is 0.6 miles, and Castlerigg Stone Circle, 2 miles off, is a longer walk with the dogs and a wide view over the town from the top. Like Whiskey Cottage, the outdoor space is a yard rather than a garden: enclosed, with a bench, but small. Parking is on the road only.
- Sleeps: 6
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.6 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a rear yard with a bench
- Best for: A family of six with two dogs who want a real fire and two bathrooms
Fell Foot, Hawkshead
Fell Foot stands on a gentle rise just south of Hawkshead with a conservatory looking across Esthwaite Water, and that view is the reason to book it. Comfy chairs ring the wood burner in the lounge, the open plan kitchen has a range cooker, and wet gear and bikes go in the utility room and garage. The garden comes in two parts: a small enclosed patio garden at the back and a lawned area at the front with seating, the better spot for an evening.
The Esthwaite Water Circular Walk is 0.9 miles away, the longest gap between door and walk in this guide, and Grizedale's forest paths are close for a change of scene. Two conditions come with the house. The allowance is two small dogs, not two of any size, and dogs must not be left alone in the property, so plan days out around places they can come too.
- Sleeps: 4
- Dogs welcome: 2 small dogs
- Nearest walk: Esthwaite Water Circular Walk, 0.9 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a small rear garden and patio
- Best for: Two couples with two small dogs who never leave them behind anyway
Robsons, Keswick
Robsons is a stone terrace on a quiet street about 500 metres from the shops, keeping its original hall tiles and cornicing, with a log burner in a bay windowed lounge and French doors from the dining room to the garden. Both bathrooms were refurbished in 2024 and the kitchen in 2026. The enclosed garden has a patio, lockable bike storage and an outside hose, which is the most useful thing on the property after a wet descent.
The Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore walk starts 0.6 miles away. For a first fell, Catbells is the usual choice for walkers of every ability, and Skiddaw, above 3,000 feet, is there for the day you want a summit. The caveat is in the small print of the allowance: two dogs are welcome, but only one of them may be a large breed.
- Sleeps: 6
- Dogs welcome: 2, only one a large breed
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.6 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, patio, bike storage and an outdoor tap
- Best for: A family who hose the dog down before it comes indoors
Charlotte Cottage - Keswick
Charlotte Cottage is a Georgian house on a quiet street in Keswick with oak floors, sash windows and shutters, an electric Aga in a sunny kitchen and logs for the lounge stove. The kitchen door opens onto a small private patio garden, enclosed and set with a table and chairs, and the washer and dryer live in an outhouse at the far end of it. The front bedroom has a king size bed and a view to the Whinlatter fells.
It shares the shortest Keswick distance in this guide: the Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore walk is 0.4 miles away, and the full 8 mile circuit of the lake is possible on foot, with the launch calling at Lodore, Brandlehow and Ashness Gate for anyone whose dog runs out of steam. The second bedroom is a bunk room, so this is a house for a couple with children rather than two couples.
- Sleeps: 4
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.4 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a patio garden off the kitchen
- Best for: Parents with two children and two dogs who want to walk round Derwentwater
Knipe Fold, Outgate
Knipe Fold is a detached cottage at Outgate, a rural spot with views over the Esthwaite Valley, and it has the most useful kit for a walking week of any house here: a drying cabinet in the utility, a garage for bikes, and an enclosed garden of lawn and large patio. The living room is split by glass doors, with a wood burner in a stone fireplace and a window seat at the upper end. Ground source heating and solar panels keep it warm.
Tarn Hows is 0.6 miles away, a National Trust tarn with an accessible circular path and views to the mountains, gentle enough for a young dog or an old one. Hawkshead and Coniston are both under 2 miles off, but the bigger lakes, Coniston Water and Windermere, mean a short drive, so this is a house for walkers more than for anyone wanting a lake on the doorstep.
- Sleeps: 6
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Tarn Hows, 0.6 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, lawn and a large patio
- Best for: A walking group of six with two dogs and a lot of wet kit
Grizedale Lodge
Grizedale Lodge is a former hunting lodge in the middle of the forest with eight en suite bedrooms for sixteen guests and an allowance of six dogs, by some distance the largest in this guide. There is a front porch built for muddy boots, a vast lounge lit by a large bay window and warmed by a wood burner, a dining table that seats everyone, and a raised deck stepping down to a garden of lawns and terraces.
The Grizedale Forest Red Squirrel Trail starts 0.4 miles away, and the forest has trails for every ability plus a sculpture trail to follow with the dogs. The caveat is a serious one for a house that takes six dogs: the owners ask that dogs are supervised whenever they are outside, because the car park is open to the road and the garden opens onto the fields around it. It is also the one house here without a pub inside a mile.
- Sleeps: 16
- Dogs welcome: 6
- Nearest walk: Grizedale Forest Red Squirrel Trail, 0.4 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, but it opens onto fields, so supervise dogs
- Best for: An extended family gathering with several dogs and someone willing to keep count
La Fina, Keswick
La Fina climbs three floors in the middle of Keswick and puts a king bedroom at the top with a view across the rooftops to the fells. The lounge and dining space share one room with a log burner, a claw foot bath stands on the half landing, and the enclosed garden off the kitchen catches the sun and has a water feature running in it, plus an outdoor tap for paws.
Crow Park, an open green rise above the water, is a few minutes down the hill, and the Friar's Crag and Derwentwater lakeshore walk starts 0.6 miles from the house. Boats calling at the jetties will take a dog across the lake and back. The cost of a top floor view is stairs, though: three floors of them, worth weighing for a dog with stiff hips.
- Sleeps: 6
- Dogs welcome: 2
- Nearest walk: Friar's Crag and Derwentwater Lakeshore (Keswick), 0.6 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, a sunny garden off the kitchen with an outdoor tap
- Best for: Six friends with two agile dogs who want the town and the lake equally close
Middle Cragg Cottage, Buttermere
Middle Cragg Cottage is a traditional stone cottage in Buttermere village, renovated with its original features kept, a beamed sitting room with a wood burner, a tiled kitchen floor where a wet dog can dry off, and a stairgate at the foot of the stairs. The main bedroom has a king size bed facing Red Pike. The village has two pubs and two cafes, and as a dark sky village it is worth a torch and a late look upwards.
This is the closest walk in the guide: the Buttermere Circuit begins 0.3 miles away, Crummock Water is also within walking distance, and a path to Rannerdale Knotts leaves from the back door steps. Two things to weigh: it takes a single dog only, and the enclosed garden sits across the yard rather than straight off the house, so night time trips out mean a short walk with a lead.
- Sleeps: 2
- Dogs welcome: 1
- Nearest walk: Buttermere Circuit, 0.3 miles
- Enclosed garden: Yes, across the yard, facing the Buttermere fells
- Best for: A couple with one dog who want a fell path from the back step
Practical Advice for Booking a Cumbrian Cottage Near a Walk
A short distance to a path says nothing about the path itself. Questions to settle first:
- What kind of outdoor space it is. Whiskey Cottage and Wainwright House have small enclosed yards, Middle Cragg's garden is across a yard, and Grizedale Lodge's garden opens onto fields.
- The exact dog allowance. Butt House and Middle Cragg take one dog. Fell Foot means small dogs only, and Robsons allows one large breed of the two.
- Stairs. La Fina and Whiskey Cottage run over three floors, and Johns Cottage puts its lounge upstairs. The Fold is the only single storey house.
- Rules about leaving dogs. Fell Foot asks that dogs are never left alone indoors.
- Whether you need a car. Eleven of the twelve list a pub within a mile. Grizedale Lodge does not, and Knipe Fold is a drive from the larger lakes.
- The coast. The nearest dog friendly beach on our map is Beckfoot, between 10.5 and 24 miles from these twelve, so this is a fell and lake week, not a sand one.
Map of Dog Friendly Cottages Near Walks in Cumbria
The twelve form three groups: a tight cluster of seven in Keswick at the top of Derwentwater, with Butt House out east at Ullswater and Middle Cragg west in Buttermere, and a southern trio around Hawkshead, Outgate and Grizedale Forest. Every walk and beach around them is marked on the Wildpack map.
12 places on this pageMap these places, and thousands more
The Wildpack Map plots every dog friendly walk, beach, stay and attraction we have listed across the UK. Open it to see what else is within reach in Cumbria, filter by what your dog needs, and get directions to the car park.
What's Nearby?
More for a Cumbrian walking holiday:
- Dog friendly walks in the Lake District: Routes to drive to once the walk from the door has been done twice.
- Dog friendly beaches in Cumbria: For a coast day from Keswick or Buttermere, Beckfoot included.
- The Lake District loop road trip: A way to see more of the county if one base is not enough.
- Dog friendly campsites in the Lake District: The cheaper alternative for a group that prefers canvas.
- Dog friendly cottages within a mile of a walk: The same test applied across the whole of the UK.
For every dog friendly stay in the county, see Cumbria.
Final Thoughts
Cumbria rewards the owner who books for the walk and treats the cottage as the place to dry off. Keswick is the easy answer, with seven houses here and a lake path that suits every dog, but it is also the busiest, and the five houses away from it give quieter mornings in exchange for fewer cafes.
A couple with one dog and an appetite for fells should go to Middle Cragg. A couple with three dogs, or one elderly one, belongs at The Fold. Families of six have the choice of Robsons, Wainwright House or La Fina in town, or Knipe Fold for Tarn Hows and a drying cabinet. Butt House is for anyone who wants five stars and a boat across Ullswater, and a big gathering with half a dozen dogs should take Grizedale Lodge and keep an eye on the gate.
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